"Ever seen that before, Watty?" asked Hugh, backing out.
"Never, your ludship."
The valet's face was a study.
"Is late ludship, Mister Hugh, was frequently in the 'abit of being alone, as I daresay you know. But 'ow in the world could 'e have found it, your ludship, if he didn't find out first about that?"
Watkins nodded toward the gaping hole in the over-mantle.
"I'm damned if I know," admitted Hugh. "Maybe we'll find out. By the way, how do you suppose you close the Vent?"
Nikka fingered the two projections, and the moment he applied pressure the flagstone slapped up into place.
"There's some counterweight arrangement," he said. "The fellow who designed this was a master-mechanic."
"Evidently," agreed Hugh. "Well, you chaps, we are another mile-stone farther on the road, but the first thing we have to do is to get the corpus delicti safely underground."
"Right," assented Nikka, "But we need clothes and food. You can't tell what we may run into."